The Influence of Covid-19 Infection on Neurocognitive Disorders

Abstract

Neurocognitive disorders are a group of disorders characterized by an impaired cognition which has not been present since birth or very early life and represents a decline from a previous attained level of functioning. The case we studied is M.E., a 62 years female, married, from rural area, working as a tailor, without any psychiatric history. She develops psychiatric symptoms during Covid-19 infection and treatment, in November 2020. The patient has been admitted in psychiatric care, in that time, for about one month, for a persistent confusion state during and after this event. These symptoms diminish the patient's level of functioning and seemed to be related with the Covid-19 infection or treatment. Psychological investigation underlines a MMSE 14, severe impairment in attention, short-term and long-term memory. CT evaluation presents normal relation except a moderate general atrophy, according with patient’s age. Differential diagnosis will be discussed. The treatment has proven its effectiveness, the patient regaining her ability to orientate, could do housework, good improvement in attention and short-term memory. We emphasize that there is correlation between the Covid-19 infection and confusive state and delirium in patients, as a comorbidity, followed in many cases by chronic progressive neurocognitive disorder, especially in elderly.